Assuming that lots of people do not have Java 7 installed, and the fact I can't force them to install it, is it feasible to include the Java JRE with my game in a subfolder of the game? So that only my game uses it? The JRE wouldn't be "installed" as such, just available in a folder so I could run javaw.exe. I know this is a "waste" in terms of disk space and download size but is that a problem in these days of TB disks and broadband? A big advantage is that I could guarantee the exact version of the JRE because I would be supplying it! It also means the user would be unaware that Java is there as some users are "Java haters" because of the FUD around applet security.

What do you think?

"I have never done unit testing and I don’t find it a very useful concept" - Jonathan Blow

I'm pretty sure that Cas has done a write-up of this. You don't need to install anything (a number of programs ship with a fixed JRE). You simply need either a shell script or a small native executable to launch the local JRE (with your chosen set of options...and you can clear should clear/set any environment vars that a user may have manually set), which in turn runs your game.

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